Tag - satan

Do you feel like your dreams are fading further and further away? Life keeps passing you by, and so do your dreams. You’re starting to believe you may have missed it. But you know deep in your soul you were made for more!

Maybe you’ve accomplished some amazing things; and yet, at this point in your life, you feel stuck. You feel powerless in your current situation. There’s an overwhelming cloud that covers you, and you wonder, Is this it? Will my life ever be any different? The thought of having your same life is causing you great anguish, and you wonder how anything could ever change.

What is it that runs deep in your soul? Do you have an ongoing nagging in your heart that simply will not go away? Maybe you’ve shared your dreams with family and friends and just talking about it brings tears to your eyes. You know you were made for more, but you’re just not sure how to get there.

Satan wants nothing more than for you to become worried, restless, and to make you think your life seems to have no purpose. Don’t listen to his lies! He’s doing all he can to stop you from living the life God has planned for you.

Satan’s goal for your life is to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY you, but Christ came so that you may have LIFE, and have it ABUNDANTLY (John 10:10).

How are you doing? Unfortunately, far too many are stressed out, burned out, and are freaking out about their future. It’s easy to fall into a life of anxiety!

Stress starts in the mind. “For as he thinks within himself, so he is…” (Proverbs 23:7). Ask yourself, What do I think about? What’s stealing my joy and keeping me from pushing forward with my dreams?

Are you consumed with life’s problems and challenges so that your mind dwells on negative thinking? Are you anxious about your future? Don’t believe that change in your life is not possible.

Never give up! It’s important to believe your story is not over. Until you breathe your last breath, it’s not over. God has given you more time, time to do even more. The key is to find out what it is He wants you to do. Do you know? If not, ask Him until He shows you—keep asking!

Often people look at success and believe their career should peak at a certain age. Do you think that’s true? Let’s look at some highly successful people and see what age they were when they made some great accomplishments:

Thomas Edison was forty-six years old when he invented the light bulb.

President Regan was sixty-nine years old when he was elected the President of the United States in 1981.

Walt Disney was fifty-four years old when he opened Disneyland.

Colonel Sanders was sixty-five years old when he kicked off the start of his fabulous franchise for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

My friend what’s holding you back? Don’t look at your obstacles, but look at all the opportunities that you may have. If you feel God is leading you to dare to believe Him again for something different in your life, pray and see what He wants you to do. Keep praying; keep seeking Him for what steps you need to do next. Do you feel like you have too many challenges stopping you?

Are are you looking at people that seem to have it all? Looking at others can be a slippery slope of discouragement. Be careful wishing you had what others have. There are plenty of people you can look to who just might encourage you. If you choose these people carefully, you may be enormously blessed.

I’ll never forget the day I saw Nick Vujicic. I was sitting in a packed out crowd of people waiting for him to come on stage. First I heard the sound of an electric motor, and it appeared to be some kind of lift. He was being lifted onto the stage! Then Nick walked out on stage—but not like most of us walk. You see, he has no legs and no arms. I was amazed that he could stand and even walk. Nick’s enthusiasm was contagious! I was deeply moved that day, and he clearly made an impact with the audience. I later began to read his books and watch his videos.

I love what Nick says in his book Life Without Limits. He writes, “My name is Nick Vujicic (pronounced VOY-a-chich). I am twenty-nine years old. I was born without any limbs, but I am not constrained by my circumstances. I travel the world encouraging millions of people to overcome adversity with faith, hope, love, and courage so that they may pursue their dreams.”1

He says it all right there. It takes great faith and hope in a God who can do all things, in His love that carries us when we may feel like no one else cares, and the courage to keep on keeping on.

Nick also says, “Often we feel life is unfair. Hard times and tough circumstances can trigger self-doubt and despair. I understand that well. But the Bible says, ‘Consider it pure joy, …whenever you face trials of any kinds.’ That is a lesson I struggled many years to learn. I eventually figured it out, and through my experiences I can help you see that most of the hardships we face provide us with opportunities to discover who we are meant to be and what we can share of our gifts to benefit others.”2 What powerful truth Nick speaks! He inspires me greatly.

Who inspires you? Do you have a Nick in your life? You can choose to look at people who seem to have it all or look at those who rise above it all. I can’t begin to comprehend the challenges that Nick faces daily. But, he’s choosing to let God use all the disappointment, all the difficulties in his life, for good.

So what’s stopping you? What are you telling yourself and who are you listening to? What obstacles are you facing? Take another step. Today, step toward the vision God has given you!

Never ever give up! Choose to be unstoppable. Dare to believe God again and again with your dreams!
Excerpts taken from “Dare to Believe Again”

Have you made New Year’s resolutions in the past and they didn’t work? Are you looking for something that will work and that will help you move forward with accomplishing your goals?

What changes would you like to see happen in this New Year? Are you looking for CHANGE? Ask anyone, and most will begin giving you a list of things they would like to see changed.

What would you like to see happen? Have you given up on certain areas in your life? I want to encourage you, DON’T GIVE UP!

Have you ever wondered why change is so hard? I have. I think about it a lot. Certainly there are countless reasons why so many people fail at bringing about change. We have seen the Hollywood stars gain and lose their weight even when they know the world is watching. Change can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. What about your finances, how are you doing in that area of your life?

There are countless books on weight loss, exercise, financial bondage, relationships, and reaching your dreams. These subjects seem to always find themselves on the Best Sellers list. We purchase these books because these things dramatically affect our lives.

I personally own books on all of these subjects and have found them helpful. But, I have also found that all the knowledge in the world on a subject will not make you change. Why? Satan has one goal for your life:

“The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy…” (John 10:10).

Satan desires to destroy your life in any way that he can. He works hard at keeping you discouraged. He would like for you to continue to have thoughts like, “I will never change, I’ve always been this way, this is as good as it gets, I’ll always be single, there’s no hope for my marriage, my children”, on and on the lies flood your mind. Lies, all lies. Change these lies to, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Cling to this verse when the fiery darts come. Stand up to the fact that change is possible.

Change happens every day, with singles who find their mates, with broken marriages, with messed up teens, adolescents, and even with seniors. I have a good friend whose parents were dramatically changed and found the Lord very late in life. Change is possible for everyone and at any stage in life.

One key to change is to recognize when Satan begins to speak his lies to you. Do you ever hear yourself say, “I’m stuck, I’ve never been able to do this before, it’s just too hard”? Do you feel stuck, and believe that change will never happen? Maybe you’ve never been able to make this change before, but remember; it’s never too late. We know “With God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27). Making change can be hard, but not impossible. You must believe this.

Look back over the past year, what changes have you made. What are some of the good things that happened in 2016? Thank God for all that He has blessed you with this past year.

What Will Make 2017 Any Different? Write a plan for the year. If you don’t set a target, most likely you won’t hit one.

Begin in prayer. Set aside time to seek the Lord about what He would like to see you do over the next year. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Be sure and ask Him.

Make a list of three things that you can get accomplished in the next three months.

Make a list of three things you would like to see accomplished in the next six months.

Write your Dream Goal for 2017. (Write one Dream Goal and the plans for accomplishing it.)

Put these lists on the refrigerator, on your bathroom mirror, and in your Day-Timer or the calendar you use. If you place these goals in all three places, they will be constant reminders of the goals you desire to reach over the year.

Start a support prayer group for the year. Meet at least once a month.

Select the person who will be your accountability partner through this year. Give them your list of goals. Weekly go over the goals and have them help you reach your three-month goals, then your six-month list, and ultimately your Dream Goal.

Celebrate each goal accomplished.

Remember that each goal accomplished is important to God. It’s important to Him how we spend our time.

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:16).

When you set down to watch TV, ask yourself, “Is this really the best use of my time?” Certainly there is a time to relax and possibly watch television or spend time on social media. But, watch out, hours can pass and what have you accomplished? Be very conscious of how you’re spending your time.

May the Lord bless you mightily this next year. Remember, He rejoices as you’re walking in righteousness and as you’re accomplishing goals that impact His Kingdom.

My friend…Dare to believe God again!

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).